Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"Errand boy?" Justin and Cooper exchanged glances, tilting their heads in confusion.

A sudden request for an errand boy? But as they listened to the explanation, it made sense.

"So... you're saying you'll handle all the menial tasks and errands in exchange for help leveling up?" Cooper asked.

"Yes. Would that be okay?" The student looked at them with a face full of anxiety.

Justin exchanged a look with Cooper, pretending to think about it.

"This is quite lucky."

"Absolutely."

At another time, they might have rejected such a request outright, thinking it would be a burden. But now was different. There was a role they desperately needed to fill.

"They urgently needed someone to collect the mana stones."

No matter how they put it, collecting mana stones was just grunt work. Who would enjoy cutting open monster corpses and rummaging through their hearts? It was a role that any team member would avoid. Moreover, if every member had to collect mana stones separately, it would reduce efficiency.

But here was someone who could take over the entire collection process. And since the student was in a desperate situation, they couldn't even complain.

"Ahem! Alright, I understand your request," Justin said, pretending to be calm as he cleared his throat.

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Before accepting him into the team, it was best to conduct a simple interview.

"But why do you suddenly want to level up? You didn't seem to care much until now."

"Actually, I wanted to level up from the beginning, but my parents stopped me," the student explained.

"Ah, I see."

If that was the case, there wasn't much he could do. If he had rushed out, his parents would have chased after him in a panic. He would've ended up dragged back before he even tried anything—especially since he wasn't an adult yet, but a minor.

Seeing Justin's empathetic expression, the student sighed.

"But now, I can't stand it anymore. NPCs openly discriminate against people, and new currencies like mana stones have emerged. If things continue like this, it'll be disastrous. But my parents are still saying nonsense."

"What kind of nonsense?" Justin asked.

"They keep saying we need to stay calm during times like these, that I shouldn't be fooled into taking on quests. They even say that since games are bad, those things must be bad people too."

Wow, that was pretty serious. Now that he thought about it, even this kid's brother had said something similar to him yesterday. It seemed like the entire family was deeply bound by common sense. In a normal world, it wouldn't be an issue, but in a world where common sense had collapsed, it was the worst possible attitude.

"And now, if I go out alone, I might really die. I can't level up on my own. So please, let me join you, and I'll do any chores or tasks," the student pleaded.

"Hmm." Justin pretended to think it over for a moment, but the answer was already clear. The role they needed was perfectly filled, the student was highly motivated, and his character didn't seem bad—there was no reason to refuse.

"Alright, you're in," Justin agreed.

"Th-thank you!" the student exclaimed.

"No need to thank me. If you can't do the job, I'll kick you out. But if you work well, I'll make sure you get your share," Justin said.

"Just give me the orders! I'll do anything!" The student's enthusiasm was promising. Hopefully, that energy would remain even during intense battles.

Suddenly, Justin realized something he'd forgotten.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't even asked your name."

"It's Nathan" the Nathan replied.

"Alright, Nathan. Welcome to the team. Let's work hard together," Justin said.

"Yes!" Nathan replied.

Justin, Cooper, and Nathan shook hands one by one. Now they had someone to handle rear-guard duties and mana stone collection. However, having just the three of them felt lacking.

'If only we had one more person for the vanguard, it would be perfect.'

Cooper was a combatant but also a healer, which meant he needed to be careful. Justin was more of a glass cannon and couldn't serve in the vanguard. And Nathan had no combat power and would need to stay out of the way during fights.

No matter how he thought about it, they needed one more meat shield.

'Ideally, someone whose abilities are focused on vanguard work, someone we can push hard, and someone I wouldn't feel guilty about if they got hurt... Is there anyone like that?'

Justin couldn't help but chuckle at his own thoughts. Where would he find someone meeting all those perfect conditions? He had been getting lucky so far, maybe too lucky.

Just as he was reproaching himself, there was a loud cough nearby.

"Ahem! Ahem!"

Someone was approaching, coughing conspicuously. It was impossible not to notice. Justin looked up and saw a familiar face.

"Hey, do you need a warrior...?" stammered Derek, the tattooed man.

Justin blinked at Derek's hesitant words.

"Well, well, looks like we found one."

"W-what?" Derek stuttered in confusion as Justin ignored him, sizing him up. His stats were only suited for the vanguard, and Justin wouldn't feel any guilt pushing him hard. He was exactly the person they needed.

Justin smiled as he looked at Derek. "We just so happen to need a warrior."

"Oh, really? That's great! I also happen to need a team," Derek said, forgetting the past as he spoke eagerly. His tone was casual, assuming that they were the ones in need.

"Hey, let's forget the past and work well together. I admit I made a mistake back then, but..." Derek began.

"Respect," Justin cut in.

"Huh? What did you say?" Derek asked, confused.

"I said, use respectful language, idiot. Do you think we're friends? Should I cast a spell on your head the moment we step out of the safe zone?" Justin threatened.

Derek froze mid-sentence. Justin offered him an alternative.

"Listen, pig. I have a suggestion for you. Either take the role of meat shield in our team, or run into me outside someday and die. Your choice."

"..." Derek broke into a cold sweat at Justin's generous offer.